PRESS RELEASE
Following rave reviews and sold out screenings at its Sydney Film Festival (SFF) world premiere; ‘Sunflower’ is set to have its highly anticipated Victorian premiere at the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) in August. Within just three minutes of tickets going live on the Melbourne International Film Festival website, the film sold out both of its screenings.
“It’s been a dream of mine for a long time to play at MIFF. I’m so thrilled to be bringing ‘Sunflower’ back home to Melbourne for its Victorian premiere”, says writer/director of the film Gabriel Carrubba. “Our cast and crew have worked incredibly hard on this film so it’s a wonderful opportunity to finally share ‘Sunflower’ with our friends, family and fellow Melburnians. I’m still in disbelief that tickets to the film sold out so quickly. I don’t think any of us expected that.”
“’Sunflower’,” a semi-autobiographical feature film for Carrubba, set in the working-class suburbs on the outskirts of Melbourne, delves into the journey of a teenage boy named Leo, who grapples with his sexuality. Carrubba artfully captures the “tender years” of his own youth, providing a heartfelt exploration of self-discovery and acceptance.
Speaking about the film, Carrubba explains, “Through this story, I wanted to depict the memories of my past, the people I knew, and the person I once was. I hope that in doing so, I can help others that might be struggling with accepting their sexuality like I once did.” The talented cast includes Liam Mollica, Luke J. Morgan, Olivia Fildes, Daniel Halmarick, and Elias Anton. Their performances are complimented by the striking imagery captured by cinematographer Martine Wolff.
After its Victorian premiere, ‘Sunflower’ will have its WA premiere at the Cinefest Oz Film Festival in September. “’Sunflower’ was a film made with the goal of spreading awareness and understanding of the struggles the LGBTQIA+ community face around ‘coming out’”, says Zane Borg, Producer of ‘Sunflower’. “We’re honoured Cinefest Oz have invited us to bring the film and its message to the West Coast, and hope to continue taking ‘Sunflower’ around the country to continue spreading awareness.”
Perth based Executive Producer Michael Facey echo’s Zane’s sentiments. “Cinefest Oz is one of my favourite film festivals in Australia. I have enjoyed attending as a cinema lover since its inception, and I’m extremely proud and excited for ’Sunflower’ to be playing there amongst the beautiful backdrop of the South West. I especially cannot wait to sit with the Cinefest audiences and see how they respond to this beautiful movie. Gabe, Zane and the entire ‘Sunflower’ team have really crafted something special and I’m very excited to be on this journey with them.”
WA audiences can catch ‘Sunflower’ at the Cinefest Oz Film Festival from the 1st-3rd September. Tickets can be purchased via the Cinefest Oz Film Festival website.
Read Nadine’s interview with director Gabriel Carrubba here.
